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Monthly Archives: October 2016

A spooky delight for Myst fans and Oculus Rift owners alike – Obduction lands on the Rift this Halloween night!

Cyan Inc. has released the VR version of its sci-fi thriller, Obduction, on Oculus Rift. Obduction is a spiritual successor to Myst and Riven, featuring surreal landscapes and masterful puzzles that are sure to delight on VR as much as they have in 2D.

NVIDIA HDR support, and NVIDIA Ansel, are also being added to the game, letting players capture impressive 360 panoramic screenshots like the one above. Details on how to obtain and view these screenshots are available on the GeForce Blog.

MissyS: Eternal Crusade launched initially more like a lobby shooter, but promises still to be an MMO. What is the developmental roadmap and goals to make the game into that MMO vision?

Nathan Richardsson: During our Founder and Early Access period, we did a couple of newsletters or “states of the crusade” where we shared that. It’s a step by step hub-and-spoke approach; the garrison is the hub and the spokes are the maps and modes you fast travel to via the world map.

It gives us a lot of freedom to add to the game new types of game modes, “maps”, mix solo, guild, pve and pvp together in new ways without it inherently disturbing the overall game experience, balance and the development progress.

With the hub-and-spoke, different activities can affect the factions and territories with lots of fun results such as what extra powers a Warlord of a Faction can bring to the battle during a Campaign.

The campaign can then also affect areas. For example with Abaddon doing a certain push, he could put a warp storm, which changes the rules of combat entirely in some areas, safely without directly negatively affecting all aspects of the metagame and larger world.

So, first in is Campaigns which are now factional goals and will evolve all the way down to personal goals. Then we’re looking at more work on the metagame, specifically the world map, Warlords and more character options, which will be big in our upcoming expansion with the Terminator Equivalents.

In the end, it’s a more flexible, achievable and robust development model, especially post launch, compared to relying on non-existent tech we’d have to create ourselves instead of simply buying.

Nathan Richardsson: Maps can grow and who knows, maybe someday we can phase from map to map, but it’s currently nowhere in the cards and not on the near-term roadmap. Our intent is that you get that “open world” feel in our maps by making larger more open areas with a focus on moving your squads to a certain area within a troop transport and dynamic encounter as it would be the ultimate location to have multi-faction encounters with Tyranids in the mix.

We can have entirely different rulesets in all these areas in the hub-and-spoke model, and how they contribute to the persistent world map and Campaigns gradually over time, by simply adding a new type of area like that. When we’re there with the systems and tech we need, we create an area and connect it to the hub, the Campaigns and the world map.

First though, we have a lot of things we wanted to have at launch, so coming in are Campaigns, Warlords, Terminator equivalents and more work on creating a meaningful metagame, while also expanding upon the platform we already have. Mid-term is for older promises we still want to fulfill, like the bikes, more character progression (like Heroes and Elites) and more classes and vehicles.

MissyS: Do you plan on implementing voice chat soon?

Nathan Richardsson: Absolutely. We’re simply evaluating solutions still that suits us best as we must take into consideration consoles, as well as PC, so we couldn’t easily start just with Steam Voice for example. But of course, we’ll have voice.

MissyS: Do you have plans to improve the current guild system?

Nathan Richardsson: Yes, quite a lot. Ranging from the core system of communicating and organizing as a guild, to easily setting up scheduled matches, having a garrison for yourself and so on. It’s a core of our future vision. Hub-and-spoke also lets us use any of the current areas, create a special ruleset – tournament – which forces a certain set balance in the teams. Then we’d like to connect all those results into the Campaigns and world map.

MissyS: Let’s talk about some of the criticism since the game launched. To start with, many players are claiming the game left early access before it was ready. In retrospect, do you feel you released the game on time?

Nathan Richardsson: On time? Yes. Where we wanted it to be? No I don’t think so; we had some difficult choices in the last meters and we decided to work more on the character, wargear, progression and combat at the cost of campaigns and a meaningful world map.

Our expansion and content updates are free and the first one coming in a couple of weeks adds Campaigns followed by Warlords. We’re committed long-term and essentially the result was we launched the foundation and the first expansions are laser focused on what we feel are the missing launch features.

We had to launch due to a lot of reasons, internally, partners and commitments which all play into determining a launch date. If anyone wants someone to blame, they can start with me and nobody else since my job is to make sure all those ends meet successfully.

MissyS: One major issue that has been concerning players is optimization and game performance. Are you looking for ways to improve this?

Nathan Richardsson: We’ve been doing that constantly since Early Access. We didn’t during Founder’s Access; it was way too early, but we’ve continued post launch, both on client, server and netcode.

This is all with benefits and drawbacks of using a next-gen engine like Unreal Engine 4. One thing that happened was that it turns out UE4 and AMD/ATI don’t like each other, and we had to be integrating the latest versions of UE4 shortly before launch to address those incompatibility issues amongst other things.

Other games had even more severe problems than us. One thing doesn’t change though, this is UE4 – it’s fantastic but it isn’t comparable to old engines. You need a recent rig to run it properly. Our recommended spec is almost 3 years old graphics cards right now.

MissyS: Another issue that has been discussed is balance, particularly when it comes to melee weapons. How are you looking to make ranged players feel more durable?

Nathan Richardsson: We haven’t stopped balancing. We’re updating weekly right now and every single patch includes balance changes, more wargear, changes in functionality to all combat. We’re monitoring tons of data, playing, looking at feedback and doing changes based on that.

One thing that’s important to understand about balancing is that you don’t do a ton of changes at once. Doing so runs the risk of polluting data and making everything worse, so testing long-term balance effects anywhere else than on the Live servers for us is never going to work. We only have indicators based on the data and feedback before we can do changes and test them internally in our daily playtests of our daily builds, but it’s never the same as 30k people hammering it over a week.

MissyS: What other goals do you plan to deliver on from the list of things promised to founders?

Nathan Richardsson: Armor is coming in the short term; the Heroes, Elites, and Bikes are coming in the longer term. It’s our intent and goal to gradually work and expand on what we already have, add what we wanted to have at launch and a lot of what was discussed early during the Founder’s period.

The dream still lives that was created a long time ago here. I only joined less than two years ago but I joined because of Warhammer 40,000 and the potential of that dream. So we’re going there and we found a way to achieve most of what we want to do and are confident that we can continue well beyond that.

Seeing what we did in those 2 years and with the platform we now have proved to us that quite a lot of amazing experiences are leading up to our fantasy Warhammer 40,000 universe.

MissyS: What message would you give to gamers who are still on the fence about getting the game?

Nathan Richardsson: If you’re on the fence, you should stay there. We’re showing with our actions that we are still here and expanding with regular patching, our first big content update coming in some weeks, and more slated for December. Jump in when you feel comfortable investing your time to be part of this ride. There is only one entrance fee, which should make you feel more comfortable, because you can always come back to something fresh.

January 27 will mark Kingdom Hearts 2.8 on Playstation 4. Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue HD is a mouthful, but it has a ton of content. It will contain the new .02: Birth by Sleep, Dream Drop Distance and X Cover. But while this is pretty fantastic news for PS4 owners, or people looking to grab one, there’s another release coming early next year in addition to Kingdom Hearts 3, which lets face it, almost everyone is excited for. The slated arrival for Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 Collection is March of next year. So all of the HD Remakes that contain Final Mix plus other content/games that come with it. So the great thing for Kingdom Hearts fans, is that the entire franchise is going to be on Playstation 4! Sorry Xbox One users. I think this is a terrific idea, and there are a lot of younger fans coming into the gaming community who are seeing clips for KH3, but never got to really experience 1 or 2 in their prime. There are also a ton of people who did not get to experience the Final Mix of either game which is the phenomenal International Editions of the game. Int. Editions tend to have extra content and harder bosses, stuff like that. One of the few times ever we got a harder game was Final Fantasy VII, since Emerald and Ruby WEAPON were added for us, and not in the Japanese original release of the game. Now that’s interesting. Usually we get something dumbed down, or they get a cool “extra” version. Now, this means yes, you’ll have to buy the games again, but I’d rather not talk about how many versions/copies of Final Fantasy X I own. So, I’m in no position to snicker. But, it’s a really big deal for people who are fans of the series!

Is there a franchise you’d love to see on the newer consoles or on PC? Even if you don’t have the console, but you’d like to see it resurrected for a new audience. #BringBackLufia

OnRPG has partnered with Panoramik to give out the sweet Forge of Gods Twilight Destroyers Pack just in time for Halloween!

GODS are not born, they are made by YOU! Join the action in this highly addictive multiplayer card strategy RPG “FORGE OF GODS”! Collect and train as many monsters as you can to assemble the greatest team and burst through hordes of enemies in this thrilling, addictive and fast-paced game! Conjure owerful dragons, sturdy warriors and exotic beasts to fight for you in the land of Pangea! Are you ready for battle?

Endless Space 2 is the latest addition to the Endless franchise. After focusing on Endless Legend for quite some time, AMPLITUDE has gone back to its roots and the place it all started: Space. For the most part, Endless is almost universally acclaimed as a forerunner in the turn-based strategy and 4X genres. Endless Space 2 has shaped up to become a game more than worthy of this legacy, making use of proven features from past Endless games and adding in new features to help keep the series innovative. In this early review of the game, we’ll take a closer look at it and see what it does right and what it does wrong.

Customization

Like most Endless games, you get a healthy amount of customization when it comes to creating the rules of your game. The ability to create factions and customize them seems to be returning, too. With the hero system, you get another layer of customization where you can customize your heroes skills and ships. For another layer of customization, mod support is planned for the game. It’s not an incredibly amount of customization, but it is there and it’s appreciated.

Graphics

Endless Space 2 has a very artistic and stylized aesthetic. In the overworld (or overgalaxy, I guess) your fleets are represented by outline shapes, rather than actual models of the ships. They look almost like star constellations. I like this, personally, because it helps them stand out and I’m just a fan of the way they look. Before you start exploring, the galaxy is covered by a ‘fog of war’ that almost makes it feel like a painting. The screenshot doesn’t give that feeling quite enough justice, but you’ll get an idea of what I mean.

The UI is almost like a piece of artwork in itself. I love it when a game has a smooth UI that is sleek and unobtrusive. Games in the Endless series always have fantastic UIs and Endless Space 2 is no different. The transitions between various menus are incredibly well done, too. For example, if you want to look at a system’s planets, there is a sort of zooming effect that brings you in close to the solar system and then brings the planets up and opens the interaction menus. Speaking of the solar system interaction menu, it’s impressive how they manage to make the UI feel so minimal even when you’ve got a screen full of information. I wish AMPLITUDE would loan out the team that works on their UIs to every game that comes out.

Controls

Endless Space 2 is primarily played with the mouse. You can make use of keybindings if you like, but I never bothered. It’s not like an RTS where opening a window or selecting a unit in less than a second could mean victory or defeat. If you’ve ever played a 4X before, especially one from AMPLITUDE, the controls are intuitive. It’s fairly straight forward where everything is and the game does a good job explaining things with the tips that pop up (which can be disabled).

Gameplay

Endless Space 2 has taken some of the best features of Endless Legends and attached them to the framework that the original Endless Space put in place. This, added with the fantastic artwork and UI, with a dose of the incredible sounds and music to be found in Endless Space 2, creates a truly unique entry within the lexicon of the 4X genre. I always look forward to an Endless game, because I can count on it to innovate. It’s a breath of fresh air.

When I originally heard of Endless Space 2’s development, I was afraid that AMPLITUDE would play it safe and go with what they knew that worked. That is, it would be a slightly improved clone of the original Endless Space. Well, in a way my fears were realized. But not in the way you think. They did take what they knew would work, but not just from Endless Space. They took from their other games, especially Endless Legend, and mixed in a heaping tablespoon of completely new for good measure. What this has created is a game that simultaneously feels like a completely new experience, yet familiar at the same time.

I’ve been playing Endless Legend for quite some time. I’ve covered the base game and every expansion released to date. Heck, I’m in the process of writing a review of the latest expansion to Endless Legend while I am writing this review. I was pleasantly surprised when I found the Hero system from Endless Legend in Endless Space 2. And the overall aesthetic resembles the aesthetic of Endless Legend closely.

The lore of the Endless is greatly expanded in this new addition to the series. My interest in the Endless, dust, and everything else found in this intriguing universe has grown with each subsequent game. In Endless Space, it was a backdrop that I barely paid attention to. Dungeon of the Endless was the first time I paid attention to the lore at all. Then Endless Legend came out and I started to really get hooked. Endless Space 2 has only added to it, which is amazing. I can’t wait to see where we will go next. Dungeon of the Endless focused on, well, a dungeon within the Endless universe. Endless Legend a single world. Endless Space and Endless Space 2 focus on a galaxy; seeing where we’re taken with the next game in the series will be a treat.

Personally, the tech window is kind of annoying. It’s very similar to what is present in Endless Legend, but I prefer a more traditional tech tree. That could just be because it’s what I’m used to, but I feel like it made the technology feel more progressive and meaningful. I just don’t get that feeling with the way tech works in Endless Space 2. The tech system in this game is more free-form, with a lot more freedom to pick-and-choose what you like, unlocking higher tiers of technology (called Eras) as you reach certain points in your research. This is just a minor annoyance, to be clear. I still enjoy the game A LOT.

Diplomacy plays a big part in Endless Space 2, which isn’t surprising. Politics are one of the pillars of the genre. Trying to take on all of the factions in a game can be kind of overwhelming, so it’s nice to make friends. Or you can bully factions that are weaker than your own, if that’s your thing. Speaking of bullying, Minor Factions make a return and you can conquer and subjugate them as you please. I’d be lying if I said diplomacy was my strong point in these games as I tend to just go in guns a-blazing and hope for the best.

Diplomacy and politics don’t end on the galactic scale, though. Many actions can have a political impact within the systems you control. For example, building many warships will give you the reputation of a Militarist, while focusing on industry buildings on your planets results in an Industrialist political impact. By doing a System Scan you can get an idea of how your decisions have impacted the local systems. Each race will react differently to certain types of decisions and actions. For example, the Cravers probably won’t mind a Militaristic mindset, as they crave (get it?) expansion. As your influence grows you can start laying down laws.

On occasion you will be given events that can have multiple outcomes. For example, you could receive an event in which one your ships is attacking its own. You can decide to either send a fleet to destroy or capture them. Depending on your choice, the reward is different, usually reflecting the mindset of your decision. They’re not going to win-or-lose you the game, but they do make the experience much richer.

As for combat in Endless Space 2, it’s more strategy focused. Your ability to influence a battle ends once it starts. Prior to the battle itself, you can choose to employ certain strategies for your fleet by choosing “Battle Plans.” Each Battle Plan represents a certain style of defense or attack and can reward your fleet certain bonuses. Through the Advanced menu, you can even see how your opponent is most likley to go into battle based on your previous experience fighting against them. So, the more you fight your enemies, the better you come to know them and their habits in battle. This is probably one of my favorite additions to the game; in the original Endless Space I often felt like combat was bland and I tried to avoid it as often as possible. With these new features I find myself looking forward to most combat encounters.

Actually viewing battles has become more enjoyable, too. The ship models are higher quality and better show damage. The camera also seems to be a bit better, too. I still pass up watching most battles (except for battles that involve heroes, which I’ll get into in a moment), but not all of them. In previous games I skipped the battles simply because they weren’t enjoyable to watch as someone who could have no control over them. At least now it feels like a more cinematic experience and that helps give them a more ‘real’ feeling.

Heroes make a return in Endless Space 2, with an almost identical copy of the Hero system in Endless Legend. Of course, there are changes. For example, your Hero has his own customizable ship instead of weapons. The design of these Hero ships are superb, too. Honestly the highlight of the whole system, for me, was watching the hero ships in battle. During my play time, I never missed a chance to see them in action.

Conclusion: Excellent

You’re getting a game that could easily sell for $60 for just $30, which I consider a steal. Over the past few years AMPLITUDE has proven to be one of the modern definers of the 4X genre, and I’m looking forward to seeing what DLCs they come out with for Endless Space 2 as well as what future games will come from them.

Iron Tides has just a few days left on its Kickstarter campaign, and is looking for the last bit of funding to make the project complete with another fundraising push, including a special “Tsunami of Pain” event.

Described as a ” rogue-lite genre mash of survival, exploration and tactical combat,” Iron Tides is a grid-based strategy game where players take the role of a Viking Chieftain. Players must explore, plunder, and trade to make their name on the cold dark seas.

This weekend’s “Tsunami of Pain” stream will take place on Twitch.tv/crashwavegames. Running October 29 and October 30, 11am-6pm Pacific (2-9p Eastern), developers will battle each other on custom maps. Each match’s loser must eat a chocolate covered item – will it be a grape, or a chili pepper? Yikes!

The team will also field questions during the stream. Viewers who back the campaign during the event can also suggest additional challenges to the dev team as a special bonus.

Crash Wave Games, a small indie studio, is aiming to raise their Kickstarter fund request (a total of $14,200 USD) to pay back their partners and contributors and retain independence as they complete the project. As huge fans of indie game development, we here at OnRPG want to see them succeed! Iron Tides looks like it will be an incredible, fun genre mash-up where the challenge of rogue-like difficulty meets with tactical strategy in an exciting way.